MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - No. 12/15 Penn State Harrisburg baseball put up crooked numbers in six of eight half-innings and used strong pitching from start to finish to open April with a 16-0 shutout of Susquehanna on Tuesday afternoon.  


The offensive approach paid off for the Lions (18-4-1) as they racked up 14 hits and worked 10 walks on the day. Demetre Koutras III had a three-hit day, driving in a pair of runs and scoring two more. Alexander Ruiz also had a three-hit game, finishing with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Adam Bova homered, drove in three runs and scored twice, while Blaine Waltimyer added two hits and a stolen base.


Aidan Bergholc turned in his best outing of the season on the bump, earning his first win after allowing just three hits and striking out five batters in five innings thrown. Relievers Benjamin Ross, Parker Nein and Michael Paciotti combined to surrender just one hit through the final four innings.


The River Hawks (12-11) best opportunity came to begin to the game when they used a hit by pitch and two errors to load the bases no outs. Bergholc got Sam Martucci to strike out before Waltimyer showed off his arm in right field, snagging a CJ Orrego lineout and eliminating the threat by throwing out Dylan Heyduk at home plate to end the top of the first.


The home team got on the board in the bottom half when Carlos Irizarry put a ball in play with two outs, allowing Drew Sassaman to score from third on an error. Ruiz followed it up with a single to left field that plated Brendan Henn and doubled the early advantage. After Bergholc retired SU in order in the top of the second, the Lions used another error along with two hits and two walks to scored two more when Henn worked a bases-loaded walk and Koutras singled home Waltimyer during the ensuing at-bat.


Bergholc used another 1-2-3 inning in the third to keep the visitors off the board and Bova tacked on two more runs in the bottom half when he hit the first home run of his career – a two-run shot over the fence in right field. Another quick inning from Bergholc allowed the Lions to get back to it at the plate and they used three walks and two hits to push the advantage to nine after four.


Penn State Harrisburg scored for the fifth straight stanza when Koutras singled home Sassaman with a single to center field. Ruiz added an RBI double for good measure to stretch the lead to 11-0 through five. Ross entered in the sixth and worked around some trouble, stranding a pair of River Hawks in scoring position to keep the visitors scoreless.


The Lions added one last big inning in the seventh, tallying five runs on four hits, including a Dinzey Feliz double and RBI singles from Kaden Pasternak, Lucas Floyd and Tim Haftl. Sam DelCollo picked up an RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Nein retired the visiting side in order in the top of the eighth. Paciotti made his first appearance of the year in the ninth and got two quick strikeouts before putting a bow on the shutout with a groundball to third base.


NOTABLES
- Tuesday's shutout was the second in as many games against Susquehanna after Penn State Harrisburg defeated the River Hawks 14-0 in Selinsgrove last spring.
- Koutras finished 3-for-4, drove in two runs and scored two more.
- Ruiz went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, three RBIs and a run scored.
- Bova was 2-for-3 and hit his first career home run. He drove in three runs and scored two others.
- Waltimyer had a multi-hit day, scored a run and stole a base.
- Henn and Sassaman combined for five walks on the day.
- Bergholc earned his first win, throwing five innings, striking out five and allowing just three hits.
- Nein and Paciotti combined to allow just one baserunner in the final two innings.


WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions have a short turnaround and return to conference play when they host United East foe Saint Elizabeth on Wednesday afternoon.


STAY CONNECTED
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